$8,000 Investment Continues to Reap Rewards

Media Release - Monday January 22

An $8,000 purchase in 2003 has continued to pay dividends for Gareth Downey over two decades later, when the filly’s son won the inaugural $350,000 The Oaks Stud Remutaka Classic (2100m) at Trentham last Saturday.

Downey, a former General Manager of Valachi Downs Stud, relocated to take up the same role at Lindsay Park Racing in 2022, and was near speechless after watching The Odyssey charge to the post from his Australian base.

Gareth Downey was delighted to take out the inaugural $350,000 Remutaka Classic (2100m) with The Odyssey on Saturday.   Photo: Trish Dunell

“The only trouble we’re having is coming back down to earth after all our yelling and screaming,” he said.

“It’s a genuine honour to win the first running of it, it’s such a wonderful innovation for New Zealand racing to have these races and we were just happy to have a runner, so to win was an honour.”

Downey possessed an extensive interest in the breeding and pedigree analysis throughout his life, and his first investment proved life changing when purchasing The Odyssey’s dam Macavelli Miss for $8,000 at a Sydney yearling sale in 2003.

Under the care of Cambridge conditioner Roger James, Macavalli Miss won six races and $177,000 in stakes, highlighted by a sensational victory as the $121 outsider in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) in 2006.

Following her racing career, the daughter of Vettori produced five foals for Downey and wife Mel Gamble, including seven-race winner Gauguin, and Fleetwood Maca, who was runner-up behind Oaks-winning mare Amarelihna in the 2020 Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m).

Macavalli Miss’ final foal was born in 2019, a son of Zacinto that emulated her triumph on the champagne turf on Cup Day.

“She was an incredibly special mare to us, it was a life changing experience to have her in our lives and to share her journey,” Downey said.

“She has been a very successful broodmare, she actually died very soon after foaling The Odyssey, so we’ve always had a special attachment to him because of that.

“We’ve been close to him all the way through his life, he’s a gorgeous horse, and to have him running in the Remutaka Classic on Thorndon Mile day after his mother won that felt like a real omen.

Advertisement

“To be cheering him down that straight, and for him to be tough and talented enough to win was indescribable really.”

The Odyssey’s late sire Zacinto has been to the fore in high-profile races already this season, particularly with the success of Crocetti, a top-line three-year-old unbeaten in six starts, including the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).

“I was working at Valachi at the time and Zacinto stood there, so that was the immediate appeal for Macavalli Miss,” Downey said.

“We do a lot of pedigree analysis to find the right match, we loved this stallion and the mating paired really well, so it all just felt like the right thing to do.

“I think it’s a combination of the natural resources of the country in New Zealand, that makes it one of, if not the best places in the world to raise young horses. The quality of horsemanship involved in the country adds to this as well, they get the best start in life.”

Downey shared his appreciation to Ben and Ryan Foote, the father-and-son training partnership preparing The Odyssey to his four career victories from eight starts, and now more than $233,000 in stakes. Also credited with the victory was jockey Courtney Barnes, the Northern-based hoop guiding the four-year-old to all of his successes to date.

“The Foote’s are wonderful people, they are extremely good to us and to our horses. We love the association, we’ve got four with them now, all of our racehorses have been trained by them for the past two or three years,” he said.

“Courtney really deserves this as well, she has been riding this horse for all of his career and they have a special partnership.

“She may not be one of the most high-profile jockeys in the country, but she couldn’t possibly have ridden him any better and we were delighted to have her on board.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
$550,000 Snitzel Filly Tops MM National Weanling Sale
A beautifully related daughter of Snitzel topped the 2025 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale on the Gold Coast today when selling for $550,000.
Sires With Winners - Sunday May 25
Here is the full list of 72 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Voyage Bubble Makes History in Hong Kong
Hong Kong superstar Voyage Bubble (Deep Field) tonight became just the second horse in history to win the Hong Kong Triple Crown when scoring a stunning victory in the G1 Champions and Chater Cup at Sha Tin.
Cheers From Torryburn As Voyage Bubble Takes Hong Kong Triple Crown
While it may have been 31 years since the last Hong Kong Triple Crown winner River Verdon swept to victory, the Torryburn Stud-bred Voyage Bubble created his own slice of history, taking out the third and final leg, the Group 1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) for his own clean sweep.
Frankel Filly Wins G1 Irish 1000 Guineas for Coolmore
Frankel filly Lake Victoria sailed through an undefeated juvenile season with five straight wins including three at G1 level before tasting defeat for the first time when unplaced in the Group I Newmarket 1000 Guineas, but she rebounded in spectacular fashion on a day when her sire posted a G1 double.
Rosemont Thirty for Thirty Launch for Zoustar's Best Son
Rosemont Stud are thrilled to announce the brilliant, all-the-way winner of the $1M Gr.1 W.F.A William Reid Stakes, SCHWARZ has retired & will stand at their Gnarwarre base in 2025.
First Season Highlights – These Young Stallions Had Results of Note
At the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale it was Anamoe that made the biggest splash which is as it should be given his profile and he duly did it again at the Gold Coast on Sunday with the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale proving a showcase for his offspring.
Zacinto Gelding Wins $350,000 Remutaka Classic
Ben Foote never doubted the ability of The Odyssey, and his faith in the gelding was rewarded when he claimed the inaugural running of the $350,000 The Oaks Stud Remutaka Classic (2100m).
Better Than Ready's The Odyssey Leads Home a 1-2-3 for the Locals in the Last On Magic Millions Race
The locals went 1-2-3 in the $1m Racing Qld Magic Millions (1300m) to bring the curtain down on Magic Millions raceday at the Gold Coast.
Mixed Fortunes for Aussie Connected Sprinters
There were two important sprint races run overnight in the UK and Ireland and both had key runners with strong Australian interest in Zoustar mare Mgheera and the former Waterhouse  Bott trained colt Storm Boy.